Archive for the ‘Survival Knives’ Category
Fighting to Survive
For a soldier, he must rely on his weapons in order to fight for his life. This career is simply something which is difficult to bear, particularly for the loved ones of the individual. One would never know if the person would still go back after a mission, and there is a high chance that he may get injured or impaired in the line of duty. They fight in order to protect the welfare of those who cannot defend themselves, and are willing to give up their life for this purpose.
One of the weapons an individual would need to survive are military knives. These would come in handy for those close contact combat on the battle field. It can also be a handy tool which can be used for day to day tasks. The need to survive is critical for a soldier, and they would need to make use of items which are durable enough to be used for many years. This can be a valuable item which may save a person’s life.
Survival Tools
Surviving in the outdoors will not be possible without a weapon. Arming oneself with defense tools is critical whenever you step out into the unknown. You would never know what you may come across with. You may also be faced with various situations where no one else but yourself can help. Every outdoor enthusiast would never leave their home without a knife in their pockets.
The late Colonel Rex Applegate designed a knife specifically to provide a weapon which may be used in the outdoors. The Applegate Fairbairn knife is a combat blade designed by the country’s well-known individuals when it comes to close-quarters combat. This blade is designed with expertise and function. Due to its durability and stability, it makes for one useful and dependable knife for whatever purpose you may make use of it. Everybody would want to invest in this type of blade if their life depended on it.
Ready for Anything
Survival knives are knives that are designed for survival purposes in a wilderness environment, usually in an emergency situation where the user has lost most of his or her main equipment. Military outfits issue survival tactical knives to their personnel in the event of emergencies where they are cut off from the rest of the outfit. These knives are multi-purpose and can be used for trapping, skinning, wood cutting, and a host of other important uses. Civilians who use survival knives are often hunters, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Some of these survival tactical knives are heavy-bladed and thick, while others are lightweight and fold to save weight and bulk as part of a larger survival kit. A survival knife will often double as a hunting knife. Some survival knives feature a hollow handle that is designed to hold a number of emergency items. These items can include matches, fishing line, fishing hooks, a wire saw, needle and thread, water purifying tablets, first aid supplies, and pieces of flint.
Ultimate Blade
Any kind of knife in decent working condition could actually be considered as a survival knife. There is a specific style of knife that has become synonymous with the term survival knife. This is usually a black survival knife that combines the hunting blade of a Bowie knife with a hollow handle that is designed to hold a number of emergency items. Some knife experts consider the hollow-handled survival knife to be more of a novelty than a useful tool, but there are still many who prefer this type of knife when camping.
A typical survival knife will usually feature a smooth blade for spearing wild game or for preparing food, along with a serrated edge for sawing tree limbs. A survival knife may also feature a hooked blade for opening cans or slicing rope. The handle of a survival knife is often designed to be knurled to provide a stronger grip. The tip of the handle will often contain a floating compass as part of the emergency survival kit. The rest of the emergency supplies are kept inside the hollow handle itself.
Superior Function
A pocket knife is a type of knife with a folding blade that is designed to be small enough to fit into a pocket. Many companies make pocket knives with multiple blades, to ensure that their products will be versatile. A good pocket knife can be an extremely useful tool in different situations, which is why they are common equipment for campers, farmers, and emergency services personnel, among others. Spyderco knives offer different kinds of knives ranging from pocket knives to rescue knives.
The Spyderco Assist is designed for emergency/fire/rescue professionals as well as the well-equipped civilian who rely on their knives to function flawlessly under pressure. It features a patented blunt-tipped blade which is a toothy eighty-percent SpyderEdged for aggressively cutting seatbelts and fibrous material. A Cobra Hood positions the thumb directly over the hole for quick blade deployment, which also doubles as a leveraging platform for the thumb.
Tactical Gift
At the onset of summer I planned a hunting trip with my brothers and a few of my best buddies. It was something my siblings and I looked forward to each summer back when we were little, with my father exposing us to the wonderful outdoors. And this year it was something I wanted to bring back again as an annual tradition. Reviving how we spent our vacations growing up.
One of the few gifts I received last Christmas was a set of Camillus knives. It came as a surprise from my wife, since she was not fond of these sharp and dangerous tools. I brought these folding knives to our trip and was an instant hit to my brothers and friends. Things were quicker to do with these sharp tools. Thanks to my wife for her wonderful gift.
Fixed Blade
Technically speaking, any knife in decent working condition can be considered as a survival knife. There is a specific style of knife that has become synonymous with the term survival knife. This style combines the hunting blade of a Bowie knife with a hollow handle designed to hold some emergency items. This style of survival knife enjoyed a surge in popularity after the release of Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo” film series. Some people even refer to this type of knife as a Rambo knife.
A survival knife usually has a smooth blade for spearing wild game or for preparing food. It also has a serrated edge for sawing tree limbs. A survival knife might also have a hooked blade for opening cans and for slicing rope. The handle of a survival knife is often knurled to provide a stronger grip. The tip of the handle usually contains a floating compass as part of the emergency kit. The rest of the emergency supplies are kept inside the handle itself.
What about the Handle?
We often talk about the blade materials in knives. But, what about the handles? What’s the difference between carbon fiber, craton, micarta and other handle materials?
Here is a short list (by no means all inclusive) of materials used for handles in military, survival and hunting knives.
Carbon Fiber
Graphite fibers (the size of a human hair) are woven together and fused in epoxy resin. It’s lightweight, three-dimensional in appearance and is a superior (and expensive) handle material.
Cocobolo
Hardwood from the Cocobolo tree, ranging in color from bright orange to deep red and dark purple. Its grain and fine texture are relatively easy to work, polishes to a high sheen and is popular as an inlay or embellishment on knife handles.
Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN)
A nylon polymer mixed with glass fiber that is then injected into a mold for making lightweight knife handles.
G-10
Handle material made of epoxy filled with woven glass fiber that is impervious to changes in temperature and can be tinted into many colors.
Kraton
A rubbery thermoplastic polymer used as a flexible inlay on knife handles for enhanced grip.
Micarta
A composite of linen or paper fabric in an epoxy resin used as a handle material. It is incredibly lightweight, durable and visually appealing. It can be bead blasted or polished, changing its appearance.
Wood Epoxy Laminate
This is an impregnated wood laminate, which is extremely hard and machines similar to Corian, aluminum and Micarta.
Stay Alive with your Survival Knife
Here are three ways to use your survival knife to stay alive in the wild. 
Cut small trees: If you can double a sapling over using one hand (limber it up by bending it back and forth several times), you can slice the trunk in half using downward pressure with an angle cut. The sapling must be green and the pressure should be evenly maintained throughout the cut, although with larger trees it may be necessary to rock the blade. Support the sapling as the trunk weakens. It will be impossible to finish the cut if the wood splinters.
Create cord: Cord is a primary survival tool, essential for fashioning bowstrings, lashing gear, and strengthening braces for shelter. The hide of almost any animal can be rendered into strips using a circular cutting technique. Drive the knifepoint into a flat wood surface, then pull the hide into the blade in a circular pattern to make a long strip. A guide peg driven into the wood maintains an even cut.
Make a fire starter: If you can’t find dry kindling for building a fire, you can use your knife to make some in the form of a fuzz stick. Rest the end of a stout stick on the ground, then shave downward to lift curls of dry wood. At the end of each stroke, pry outward with the blade to spread the feathers. The end result will burn readily.